28th February 2008

You nearly didn’t get this column this week. My laptop nearly littered the bed and I was close to going round to my mum’s house to route in the attic for her 1984 ‘Cyrillic 5’ typewriter. As it happens my woes were short lived. Did you know that the unbalanced Country Music singing sensation Dolly Parton’s ‘9 to 5’ hit features typewriter noises as percussion? There’s a bit of pub ammunition for you.

In Chester the Frog & Nightingale are doing there bit for Chester/Wrexham relations. On Friday they have Trader playing the Real Crazy Apartment Sessions. Wrexham troupe Trader have a great following of passionate fans and will no doubt bring plenty of ‘heads’ with them. Doors open 8pm canal time and it’s free entry.

On Wednesday evening the F&G have the Blue Lantern open mic night. Wrexham’s Neal Thompson will be hosting the night which will no doubt be brimming with budding songwriters, first-timers, listeners, swillers and plenty of candles. It’s free entry and doors are open at 8pm.

Wrexham band Little Caesar have uploaded two new songs onto their MySpace page (myspace.com/littlecaesarmusic). ‘Lights Out’ sounds like a respectable hybrid between The Editors and Interpol and ‘Chataeu’ is a true footstomper, letting lead singer Ben Hands’ vocals break through like a Canadian grizzly bear (if bear’s could possibly sing). Take your browser to myspace.com/littlecaesarmusic.

In the not so distant future, more song additions to MySpace include Gallops! They are busy beavering away in the studio at the moment, turning knobs and generally being ‘techy’, whilst recording some new tracks. When they last uploaded their new offerings to their MySapce page none other than Bethan Elfin offa BBC Radio 1 debuted them on her show shortly after. Keep your eye on myspace.com/thegallopsband and wait to give your receivers a real treat.

On Sunday Don’t Die Just Yet! play host to an up and coming London band called Metronomy. In the past they have toured with Kate Nash, CSS and Foals and have received much positive press in the press such as NME, Drowned in Sound and Plan B. Their Wrexham date is just one of many making up a nationwide tour in order to promote their new album ‘Nights Out’ due for release in. The synthetic electronic music of Metronomy is made solely by Joseph Mount but in live shows he is joined by a live band comprising of the tremendously named Gabriel Stebbing and Oscar Cash (real names?). They’ve gained a reputation for an entertaining live set which includes synchronized dance moves. Supporting Metronomy are Primrary 1, self-proclaimed ‘electro-miserablist’s’ Danblagroyd, and Roy Destroy, one of the most popular new acts in Wrexham at the moment. The guys on the decks will be Ross Roberts aka ‘The Cherry Kid’, and Josh Page from ‘Shoot in Paris’. The gig takes place at Central Station tickets are £7 and doors are at 7pm.

Tomorrow night the REDI nights return to Central Station in Wrexham. On the menu are the doom merchants Mother of Six, glam punkists The Eyelashes That Ate Manhattan, cheeky indie beat boppers The Doormat Antics and power rockers Stokoz to Moscow. 9pm is when the doors open and it’s £4.50 entry.

This week at Central Station the current number 1 single occupier will be performing. Duffy will be making an appearance on Wednesday at 7pm. If you are one of the lucky 500 or so who managed to get a ticket – have a good one!

Keeping things in Wrexham town, The Old Swan welcomes the Funkmode DJs along with their special guest, trip-hop megastar Jon Kennedy. If you like laidback funk/hip-hop beats and samples then this will be your Shangri-la. It’s free to get in and starts at 8pm.

If you consider yourself a connoisseur of Aunt Bessie’s products then Telfords Warehouse will be your venue of choice tomorrow night. The Lancashire Hotpots, a comedy folk band, will be taking to the stage. Their debut album ‘Never Mind the Hotpots’ won critical acclaim within the comedy folk world with many of their peers citing influences from it – really. Take the lyrics for their song ‘He Turned Emo‘: “He used to listen to Simply Red, but now he listens to Fallout Boy instead”. Genius. Other songs include ‘Chippy Tea’, ‘Bitter, Lager, Cider, Ale, Stout’ and a mega mix parodying the latest dancefloor hits. Think banjo’s, flat caps, neckerchiefs and plenty of mild. It’s free entry before 9pm and £4 thereafter.

I’m trying to think of a ‘how to better your life this week’ but I’m failing miserably. Perhaps you could give your life-serving Mum an extra hug on Mother’s Day this Sunday. That would be nice wouldn’t it? Don’t forget to buy her a card as well, and if your feeling flush – a present.

Email ben@wrexhammusic.co.uk with your news and events. Until next week.